Underneath the Stars
by Tahiri Solo
Summary: A year after the Circle Opens, the circle returns to Discipline and are reunited with each other, if only for a short time. During this, Sandry and Briar have a sweet, tender moment together and discover an entirely new aspect of themselves . . . . Songfi


Underneath the Stars  
By Tahiri Solo  
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Disclaimer: The characters, places and such mentioned in this story are the property of Tamora Pierce. I own nothing and am in no way getting paid for this story. The song belongs to Mariah Carey. I do not own that either. Also, if this story bears any resemblance to stories written by others, that is purely coincidental. No infringement is intended.  
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Lady Sandrilene fa Toren sighed in contentment. It felt so good to be back at Discipline, with the rest of the circle.  
  
Her friend Daja Kisubo looked over at her with a slight grin. "I know what you're thinking, Saati: you're happy to be home. But don't forget, our wonderful teachers are dragging us back off tomorrow, and we won't be together after that for gods know how long."  
  
Sandry's shoulder's drooped slightly at this reminder, but then she grinned. "Well, that means all the more reason for us to enjoy this while we can, right?"  
  
Briar Moss chuckled. "Is that why you tried to choke me when I came here?"  
  
Sandry flashed him a look of mock-indignation. "I wasn't choking you," she retorted, trying to be dignified despite the grin slowly creeping across her face. "I was hugging you."  
  
"Same thing," Briar muttered.  
  
The other member of the circle, Trisana Chandler, snorted loudly.  
  
"Oh, come on, Coppercurls," Briar drawled. "You tried to choke me too. Only not near as bad as Sandry."  
  
Sandry, acting completely un-noble-like, stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
  
Late that night, Sandry couldn't sleep. She was going to miss her friends so much when they left in the morning. She herself would be staying at Discipline to train her student Pasco and help her own teacher, Dedicate Lark.  
  
Life was so boring without Briar to liven it up.  
  
And Tris and Daja too, of course . . . .  
  
She slid quietly out of bed and dressed, then tiptoed noiselessly down the hall. Sandry wasn't quite sure where she was going, and merely padded down the gall, clutching her night-light crystal. The dark still frightened her, though not quite as much.  
  
Not paying attention to where she was going, Sandry walked straight into something.  
  
Or rather, someone.  
  
Briar caught her by the shoulders, supporting both their weights until Sandry regained her footing. "You okay?"  
  
Sandry blinked. She'd expected him to tease her, not be almost . . . concerned?  
  
Nah. Not Briar.  
  
"Excuse me?" Briar said in indignation. "I heard that! Your noble-ness, I'll have you know that I do care about your wellbeing, and the wellbeing of our entire circle, and yes, even our teachers!"  
  
"Noble-ness?" Sandry asked, secretly pleased that he did care, at least somewhat, about her.  
  
And their other friends too, of course.  
  
"Yep," Briar replied. She could see his grin even in the dim light. "Now, your noble-ness, what are you doing up?"  
  
"I couldn't sleep," Sandry answered, staring up at him, trying to see his eyes in the dark.  
  
"Same here. I don't want to leave," Briar said softly. "Don't tell anyone this, but I get homesick for here, and for you all. Life is boring without you, Lady Sandrilene."  
  
Sandry tugged on his sleeve. "Let's sneak out and go exploring," she begged. "Just the two of us."  
  
"Just the two of us?" He sounded slightly suspicious.  
  
Sandry instantly saw her mistake. She'd wanted to be alone with him, for some reason she couldn't define, but she didn't want him to know that. "Daja and Tris and sleeping," she said hurriedly. "They'll need to be rested for tomorrow. But we're already up, and I really don't think I could go to sleep."  
  
Briar grinned. "Me either. Let's go."  
  
  
*One summer night  
We ran away for a while*  
  
  
Briar grabbed Sandry's hand, grinning down at her, and the two of them silently pelted out of Discipline and onto the road leading from it.   
  
  
*Laughing, we hurried beneath the sky*  
  
  
Once they were outside, they both started laughing, for some reason never letting go of each other's hands. They turned off the road and kept running. They had no destination in mind, but that didn't bother them.  
  
  
*To an obscure place to hide  
That no one could find*  
  
  
Finally, Briar spotted an abandoned meadow, a long ways down the road. He tugged Sandry's arm and led her into it. "No one will find us here," he said, then blushed in the darkness as he realized his words could have been taken the wrong way.  
  
But would that be so bad? he wondered, careful not to let her "hear".  
  
Ack! Briar, you can't think like that! This is SANDRY! he thought to himself fiercely.   
  
"If Rosethorn finds out we're gone and decides to come after us, it'd be better if she can't find us," he added hastily.  
  
Sandry smiled. "Good idea." Then she gasped as she took in her surroundings. "Briar, I don't know plants like you do, but this is beautiful!"  
  
"Yeah. Beautiful," Briar said, although his mind - and his eyes - certainly weren't on the plants.  
  
  
*And we drifted to another state of mind  
And imagined I was yours and you were mine  
As we lay upon the grass there in the dark  
Underneath the stars  
(Young love)  
Underneath the stars*  
  
  
Sandry and Briar lay on the grass, staring up at the stars.  
  
Sandry risked a sly glance over at Briar. She'd noticed there was something different about Briar lately. Or maybe it was just the way she felt when she was around him . . .  
  
She wondered what would happen if she inched over on the grass and curled up against him.  
  
The thought simultaneously stunned and scared her. But, at the same time, it sent a pleasant tingle down her spine.  
  
She imagined Briar putting his arms around her and pulling her close.  
  
Whoa. This was definitely getting weird. This was BRIAR.  
  
  
  
*Weak in the knees  
Wrapped in the warm gentle breeze*  
  
  
What Sandry didn't realize was that Briar was entertaining similar thoughts of his own.   
  
Out of nowhere, the urge to take Sandry in his arms and her close welled up.   
  
Briar swallowed hard. He was glad he was laying down and not standing. His legs felt like jelly and he didn't think they would support him.  
  
The warm night breeze blew through his hair, and he wondered what it would feel like if it were Sandry's fingers instead of the wind . . .   
  
Oh, no. He definitely didn't need this. Not with Sandry.  
  
  
*So shy, a bundle of butterflies  
Flush with the heat of desire*  
  
  
Sandry didn't dare look at Briar. She'd never felt shy around him before, but she certainly was now.  
  
Her mind kept betraying her, coming up with images of her and Briar together, completely against her will.  
  
Her cheeks burned. What if Briar sensed what she was thinking?  
  
Or maybe it wasn't the thought of possible humiliation that was making her blush. Maybe it was all the images floating about in her traitor brain . . .   
  
  
*On a natural high  
As we drifted to another place in time  
And the feeling was so heady and sublime  
As I lost my heart to you  
There in the dark  
Underneath the stars  
(Young love)*  
  
  
Sandry felt Briar reach out and take her hand.  
  
Her heart raced. What was he doing? Was there a chance that he was thinking the same as her?  
  
The contact made her skin prickle. Maybe he did feel the same way. Oh, she hoped he  
did . . .  
  
And in that moment, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren saw the truth, saw what she hadn't understood in months.  
  
She was his.  
  
  
*Beautiful and bittersweetly  
You were fading into me  
And I was gently fading into you*  
  
  
Briar couldn't resist the temptation anymore. She hadn't pulled away when he'd held her hand. Maybe, hopefully, she wouldn't pull away this time either.  
  
Briar put his arms around Sandry, pulling her close.  
  
He heard Sandry gasp slightly, but she melted into him, her body a warmth and gently pressure against him.  
  
Briar had never felt so . . . right . . . in all of his life, but he realized that tomorrow, he would be leaving Discipline, and Sandry, his Sandry . . .  
  
Not even bothering to mentally scold himself for his mushiness, Briar tightened his arms around her, determined to hold on to her for as long as possible.  
  
He knew it then: he was hers.  
  
  
*But the time went sailing by  
Reluctantly, we said goodbye  
And left our secret place so far behind*  
  
  
Briar and Sandry stayed in each other's arms all night, never speaking, but not needing to.  
  
But finally, dawn was nearing, and they realized they had to go.  
  
Briar reluctantly let go of her, and they stood up.  
  
Before she could leave or say anything, Briar gently took her face in his hands and kissed her.  
  
"Come on," he murmured, his voice low and husky. "We have to get back to Discipline."  
  
Without another word, almost afraid to look at her, and stunned at himself, Briar began the walk back to the cottage.  
  
  
*And I lay in bed all night and I was  
Drifting drifting drifting drifting  
And I was yours*  
  
  
When they got back, Sandry ran to her room before anyone could question her. She collapsed on her bed, trembling.  
  
Briar had kissed her! KISSED her!  
  
And even worse, she had liked it!  
  
It's BRIAR! she told herself vehemently. You're not supposed to feel this way!  
  
She bit her lip. Well, I do feel this way, and I don't think I can stop my feelings. And so what if it is Briar? They say the strongest loves grow out of friendships.  
  
Wait a minute. LOVE?!  
  
Sandry tried to reject that thought, but finally, she gave in to the truth.  
  
She was in love.  
  
  
*And you were my own baby  
As we lay  
As we . . .  
Lay underneath the stars*  
  
  
A few minutes later, Briar walked into her room, shut the door behind him, and sat down on her bed. "I'm sorry. I don't know if I hurt you somehow, but if I did, I'm really   
sorry . . ."  
  
Sandry was startled to see that there were tears in his eyes. "Don't be," she said softly. "I'm not sorry. I liked it."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then, "I'm not going," Briar announced suddenly.  
  
"What?" Sandry exclaimed, sitting up. "You have to go!"  
  
"No I don't," Briar said. "I'm staying here with you. I'm not leaving you again. You may not realize it, Lady Sandrilene, but you've captured my heart and I don't particularly want to live without it. So I stay with you."  
  
Briar met her eyes, still shocked that he could be so . . .romantic.   
  
Sandry flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "Good," she murmured into his neck. "I don't want you to go. You have my heart too."  
  
Briar kissed the top of her head. "I know."  
  
  
  
A/N: I hope that was okay. It was my first TP fic, and I hope I got everyone's personalities right. Sandry and Briar forever!  



End file.
